Homeless man who murdered ex-Claridge's chef for his bank card to buy booze and scratch cards is jailed for life

By CLAIRE DUFFIN, SENIOR REPORTER and MARTIN FRICKER Published: 12:26, 6 May 2026 | Updated: 12:29, 6 May 2026 A homeless man who murdered a former Claridge's chef for his bank card has been jailed for life.  Adam Rowson, 26, subjected Alexis De Naray, 45, to a 'brutal and sustained' attack in an abandoned building. Mr De Naray had trained at Leith's School of Food and Wine and was once regarded as one of the country's leading young chefs. He regularly cooked for Prince Harry at his favourite London restaurant, Bunga Bunga in the late 2000s and was flown to the south of France to prepare meals for supermodel Kate Moss on her private yacht. But his father Constantine, a former shipping and oil executive, said he began drinking due to the stressful nature of the jobs and was a homeless alcoholic at the time of his death last June.  Mr De Naray, who was privately-educated and raised in his family's Belgravia townhouse, would secretly binge on hand sanitiser, which contains alcohol.  He met his killer when he was taken to hospital after being found passed out in a Wetherspoons in Telford. CCTV footage showed the chef being led from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital towards an abandoned building, where Rowson was squatting. Mr De Naray's father reported him missing after not hearing from his son for several days. Alexis De Naray, 45, died after being subjected to a 'brutal and sustained' attack by Adam Rowson in an abandoned building in June. Pictured in Greece with his father Constantine Alexis De Naray (in red) with his kitchen staff in Bunga Bunga kitchen in an undated photograph Adam Rowson, 26, was handed a mandatory life sentence and told he must serve at least 16 years behind bar His body was eventually discovered under a bloodied sleeping bag in an attic room of the derelict property. He had suffered 17 fractured ribs and a brain haemorrhage, which showed signs of significant blunt force trauma. A post mortem examination revealed he had near-fatal levels of alcohol in his system. Rowson, of no fixed address, told police he had found Mr De Naray dead after going to check on him. But detectives learned he had used his victim's bank card days earlier to buy alcohol and scratch cards while he was dead or dying. Rowson was also overheard on CCTV confessing to friends he thought he had 'killed someone'. He was convicted of murder last month following a trial at Stafford Crown Court and was today handed a mandatory life sentence and told he must serve at least 16 years behind bars. Judge Avik Mukherjee said Rowson submitted his victim to a 'fierce, sustained and relentless attack'. He described Alexis as 'warm, kind-hearted, compassionate and courageous'. The judge added: 'He was a vulnerable and damaged person who struggled with alcohol. 'He was struggling every day but he was a survivor, and was surviving every day until he met you at hospital. 'He was very vulnerable and was unable to protect himself.' In a victim impact statement Constantine De Naray said his son's death had a 'devastating' effect on the family. 'Alexis, my wonderful boy, did not deserve to lose his life prematurely and in such a violent way,' he said. 'He was a dear son who will shall be forever missed. Losing him has had a life-changing effect on us as a family. 'Everyone who knew Alexis loved him. 'He was a very talented chef and worked for many years in London until he became unwell. 'He was gradually getting better when he sadly and unexpectedly lost his life. 'We are devastated at having lost him. No parent should have to bury their child. 'Alexis will be missed very much.' His step-mother Eugenie De Naray described the murder as a 'cruel, unnecessary and useless act of aggression'. She said Alexis was a 'gentle soul' who 'brought a lot of sunshine into the world'. His younger brother Alexandros, 17, described him as his 'best friend'. He said: 'I loved him more than I can ever explain. He is one of the most loving and caring people I have ever known. 'He always brightened my mood. Now instead I think how I can never see him again. 'One of the people I love most in the world has been taken in such a horrible way. 'I can only hope he felt no pain in his last moments and is now at peace.' Constantine De Naray previously told how his son fell in love with cooking watching his family's Thai housekeeper create her favourite dishes. In his teens he moved to Greece, where he helped prepare food at large family gatherings at their homes in Athens and on the island of Hydra. He later enrolled at the prestigious Leith's and he was later employed by Gordon Ramsay Holdings at the celebrity-chef's Michelin-starred Claridge's restaurant. His father said he thrived in the high-pressure kitchen environment, rising to the position of chef de partie by his early 20s before leaving to become head chef of trendy Bunga Bunga in Battersea. Regulars included Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, Cara Delevingne, Pippa Middleton and Margot Robbie. Party-loving Harry was such a regular visitor it earned him the nickname 'Bunga Bunga Prince'. But Constantine De Naray said the pressure of the job and the associated drinking was devastating for his son. 'Alexis didn't intentionally become an alcoholic,' he said. 'He slept-walked into it. 'It was just happening without him realising what the hell was going on. 'It was all fun and dandy to begin with, about having a good laugh in the kitchen and after work. 'He didn't know what was happening. 'If he hadn't become a chef I don't think he would have been an alcoholic.' He now wants the hospitality industry to do more to tackle alcoholism among workers. 'If you're in the sort of position Alexis was in - head of the kitchen - there is free booze everywhere,' he said. 'You can just drink all day if you want, which a lot of them do. And that is the root cause of some of the serious alcohol problems that chefs have. 'The long hours, trying to get food out properly on time, creates stress. 'That stress, combined with his anxiety problems and the availability of free booze everywhere, was a nightmare scenario for Alexis. 'Hospitality workers are drinking to make themselves feel better, to cope with the stressful environment. 'Alexis was able to drink whatever he wanted. Wine, beer, spirits, shots. Whatever. 'He was a social animal, so whatever everyone else was doing, he was doing it. 'And as he was in charge, he could more or less do what he wanted when it came to alcohol. 'That is going to lead somewhere bad, it's not sustainable. It's just not good. 'I think there needs to be some kind of checks and balances as to what's going on with the alcohol that these people are utilising. It's all free.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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